


Before the Devil

by annablack1102



Series: Deal with the Devil Series [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Language, Mentions of Sex, Sexual Situations, prison era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 00:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16052117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annablack1102/pseuds/annablack1102
Summary: While living in the prison, Miranda tries to navigate life with so many new faces and deal with her attraction to everyone’s favorite redneck hunter.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prequel to my ongoing fic Deal with the Devil. While this prequel is all about Miranda and Daryl getting together, the next part is a Negan fic so if you don't like him, don't read it. This will only be a two part prequel.

It was eerily quiet. It was still early, barely any sun out, and most everyone was still asleep. Only those who were on guard that night were up at this hour. But Miranda had woken from a nightmare, a usual occurrence these days, and hadn't been able to fall back asleep. She got up then, deciding she might as well start her day, and headed outside for a run. She usually did a couple laps around the yard to check the perimeter and also to keep herself in shape. The last thing she needed was to get winded running from walkers.

The numbers growing along the fences were worrying everyone but despite their attempts they couldn't get a handle on it. Every day they piled up, drawn in by the sounds and smells of the prison. When she finished her run she took to the fences to try to dwindle down the amount of undead hanging about. They clumped in groups which put strain on the chain-links but so far they’d been able to keep it secure. She wondered how long that would last.

She'd made some progress before the sun came over the trees, a pile of walkers they’d have to take care of and burn, but there were still more. There was always more. She put away her poker, which was really just a pipe with a sharpened edge, and made her way back up to the building to shower off the sweat and splattered blood. She was lucky enough to find the locked room empty. 

The water was cold but at least it wasn't freezing. She kept it short, only washing her body. She only washed her hair about once a week. It was long and thick and took a long time to care for, plus they didn’t have much shampoo to go around anyways. It was instead pulled up into a heaping mess on her head to stay dry. Sloppy buns were her specialty, mostly because she was too lazy for anything else. She didn't care much what she looked like anymore. It's not like she was out to impress anybody. There were plenty of men at the prison now but, despite their advances, Miranda wasn't really looking. So it's not like she had any interest in doing her hair for someone.

After they took in the members from Woodbury, or what was left of it, things had gotten pretty cramped for a while until they could figure out the living spaces. Miranda shared a cell with a woman named Olivia. She was nice enough and didn't bother her. She was there with her son, Matthew, who had become friends with Rick's son, Carl. She was pretty sure Olivia had eyes for Rick but didn't act on it because he was very obviously emotionally unavailable.

Miranda dressed in the locker room after drying off and headed out to find her mother, like she did every morning. People were out and about now, some eating breakfast, others starting on their daily chores. Her mother was helping Carol with breakfast. Eggs again, a popular choice thanks to the chickens they'd acquired.

“Morning,” She greeted, giving Carol a half hug. There was a time she thought she'd never see her mother's sister again. Carol had this god awful husband that never allowed her to visit them and Cathy, Miranda's mother, never wanted anything to do with him. So they almost never saw each other. It was by some sheer stroke of luck that they'd found each other months into this hell of an apocalypse and suddenly they found themselves apart of Rick's little group of survivors.

“Morning, dear. You were up early today.”Carol noted. Miranda shrugged and got herself a plate of eggs. She froze as the group's favorite hunter showed up to snag a bit of eggs. “Morning Daryl.” Carol greeted him as well and received a low grunt in response.

Of all the men in their group, Daryl was probably the one that often caught Miranda's eye. She didn't know what it was about him. Maybe it was the tough guy act. Maybe it was the muscles he showed off with his sleeveless shirts. Or maybe it was the simple fact that he hardly gave her a second glance most days. She appreciated all those things but maybe most of all the fact that he seemed to be a bit of a loner. Sure he was a valued member of their little community, and obviously considered family to Carol, but he generally kept to himself. She could definitely relate.

Before they'd joined the group, it had been just Miranda and Cathy for months, after her father died of course. They'd run into a group occasionally but never stayed with one for long. They preferred it to be just the two of them. It was easier for them to work as a team and the few times they’d been apart of a group it didn’t end well. If Carol hadn't been with Rick and his family when they met, they would have passed on by as they always did. She missed the days when it was just the two of them, even though the safety of the walls was nice. It was so hard to get any privacy these days. Miranda scarfed down her food and thanked her aunt before taking off after Daryl who was standing near his bike.

“Hey Dixon!” She called and he looked up questioningly. “You going on a run today?”

“Nuh, was gonna do a bit of huntin'. Might take a truck and go out a ways. The woods out here seem to be picked clean.” He answered as he crouched down to get something from a pocket on the side of his motorcycle.

“Any chance I can tag along?” He looked up with a raised brow. “I need to get out of these walls. I'm a decent shot and I know how to be quiet.” She offered and watched his tongue ran over his teeth as he considered it.

“Guess so. But if you scare off my dinner we're gonna have a problem.” She smirked and held her hands up as a sign of innocence. “Meet you at the truck in fifteen. I ain't waitin'.” He stood up then and went to talk with Rick.

She went inside to grab her bag; a backpack full of extra water and food in case they get stuck out there and a couple hunting knives. She also brought a rifle from the supply they had as a group. It was the same type her father had used when teaching her to hunt so she felt fairly confident in her ability to use it.

Miranda met Daryl at the truck after checking in with Cathy briefly. It felt sort of childish to have to tell her mom when she was leaving but it also seemed like common courtesy to do so after everything. She had a feeling Cathy wouldn’t appreciate if she just disappeared for a few hours. She tossed her pack in the backseat of the two door truck and hopped into the passenger side. She used the crank on the door to get some air and let the wind flow through her hair. The truck was old and didn't have a/c but it ran well and it was good for hauling a deer or two if they were lucky enough so they took it. The drive was quiet for a while before Daryl spoke up.

“Why were you up at the ass crack of dawn this morning?” He asked and she glanced at him in confusion. “I saw you leave your bunk.” He explained. Most of them preferred not to call it a cell. They didn't like living like inmates.

“I couldn't sleep. Had a nightmare. What were you doing up?”

“Heard you get up.” He said simply with a shrug. “That happen a lot? The nightmares.”

“I guess. Been pretty normal since the world died.” Miranda admitted, with a frown. He gave a short grunt of acknowledgment but thankfully didn’t push it any further. She didn’t really want to get into it anyways. “Sorry for waking you.”

They were quiet again after that. It wasn't until an hour later that he pulled off the road. They hopped out of the car with their gear and set out through the woods. It was fairly quiet, no obvious signs of walkers or much of anything. The only thing she heard aside from their quiet steps were the birds above them, hidden in the trees. She sort of liked how he didn’t have to fill the silence with mindless chatter or ask her pointless questions about her interests. She didn’t have interests anymore. She survived, that was it. 

She followed along behind him for a while, not sure where they were going but too stubborn to ask. Not to mention afraid of accidentally ruining their hunting trip. He didn't seem to be following any sort of trail that she could see. At least, not at first. She realized about an hour after walking seemingly aimlessly that he had his eyes on something. She only hoped it was something larger than a rodent.

It was maybe another half hour later when he slowed his walk, causing her to do the same. He crouched slightly, taking small steps towards something she wasn't seeing. His hand went up and she halted on command. His bow was over his shoulder and aimed in his hands before she had time to register the movement. He took a few small steps and pulled the trigger.

“Bullseye.” Daryl muttered and straightened his stance, walking at a brisk pace. She followed after him and saw what he was talking about. There before them was an impressively sized doe. She whistled low in appreciation before hearing a twig snap near them. She turned her rifle on whatever it was and pulled the trigger before he could react.

“Looks like we found Bambi too,” Miranda said with a grin and he walked over to find a smaller deer a few paces away, not hiding the impressed look on his face. She wondered if he’d expected her to miss.

They each carried one, taking a couple of breaks along the way. It was a long walk back to the truck with a lot of weight on their shoulders. But there was the risk of walkers coming to check out the gunshot so they tried to make it quick. She wished she had a quieter weapon for things like this. Although she wasn't sure she could handle a crossbow or something similar. He made it look easy but she doubted it really was. Plus the muscle it took to cock the crossbow well...she didn’t have it.

When they finally reached the truck, they were relieved. They dumped their new kills in the truck bed and took a minute to relax. “Fuck,” Daryl muttered, rolling his shoulders as he dropped his things. He leaned against the truck to take another break and Miranda handed him her canteen.

“Did you always know how to hunt or did you learn, y’know...after?” Miranda asked curiously. They hadn't spend much time together one-on-one, despite her interest in him, and he wasn’t one to talk about his personal life anyways. 

“Learned a while back. Had to, or I would've gone without eatin'. Merle taught me.” He told her and handed back the canteen. She'd met Merle briefly, during his short time at the prison. She had mixed feelings about him, but she felt bad that Daryl had lost his brother, his only remaining family. “What 'bout you?”

“My dad taught me, back in the day. Always used to talk about survival. He wanted me to know how to handle myself in tough situations. Lost in the woods, flat tire in the middle of nowhere, asshole trying to take what ain't his...stuff like that. Don't think he ever imagined this scenario though.” Miranda said with a chuckle. Daryl scoffed and grabbed his stuff off the ground, tossing it with hers in the back.

“Good thing he did though. You an' your mom handle your selves a’right out here.” He noted, an impressed note in his tone. She gave a shrug. She wasn’t exactly thrilled about the use of her skills.

“We do what we have to.” She heard moans through the trees and sighed. They hopped in the truck and had it turned around just as the walkers started making their way onto the road. “What'd you do before this?”

“Aw, come on. Not you too.” Daryl complained as he drove. Miranda grinned and looked at him questioningly. “That kid, the one with Beth?”

“Zach?”

“Yeah, him. He keeps asking me. I'm lettin' him guess. Once a day. He hasn't figured it out yet though.” She laughed and shook her head.

“Maybe I'll talk to him then. Two heads might be able to figure it out.” She said with a grin. He rolled his eyes and kept driving.

“What 'bout you?” He asked after they'd been driving a while.

“What about me?” She asked, forgetting their earlier conversation. She'd started to doze off in the silence.

“What'd you do? Before the world went to shit.” Miranda closed her eyes and leaned against the window.

“I'll tell you if you tell me.” She bargained. He never answered so she fell asleep for the rest of the drive.

 

Everyone was grateful for the deer they'd brought back. It was enough to fill the whole community. They cooked it up and Carol made some of it into stew with the vegetables they'd been growing. They canned some of the stew to save for a later day. Daryl ducked into his bunk to get away from all the people thanking him while Miranda took watch in the guard tower. Maggie was up with her and they talked a lot. They were about the same age so they got along well although they had little in common.

“How are things with Glenn?” Miranda asked after a bit, knowing Maggie would get that secret smile on her face as she always did.

“It's good. He's really good to me. Some days I can't believe how lucky I am.” She said as she tucked her hair back behind her ear. “What about you? Isn't there anyone catching your eye these days? I noticed Henry's eyes have been lingering.” She teased, redirecting the attention. Miranda rolled her eyes.

“Please, Henry is so...clumsy. If I'm gonna be with someone, it's not gonna be someone I feel like I have to babysit.” She said with a laugh and Maggie laughed too.

“Someone like Daryl?” Maggie teased and Miranda sighed.

“Yeah, Daryl Dixon. The man who avoids every ounce of human contact as he possibly can. He really gets me going.” She said sarcastically. She was barely able to admit her attraction to Daryl to herself. She wasn’t about to open up to Maggie about it and risk her blabbering to Glenn, the man who can’t keep a secret.

“Oh come on, like you haven't noticed. If there's anyone here that can handle themselves, it's Daryl.” Miranda shrugged, trying to brush it off. “Well, I think you should give someone a chance. Even if only for a little action.” Miranda looked at her in surprise. “Hey, every woman has needs and I'm sure it's been awhile since yours have been met.”

“That's....well, so? Doesn't mean I'm gonna go jump one of them. We've got too much going on to even be thinking about that right now.” Miranda tried to ignore the fact that she was blushing. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been with a man. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd had an orgasm, not even by her own hand.

“Actually, considering how things have been, this is pretty slow. We haven't had a serious threat in a while. The walkers are mostly under control, haven't seen that bastard in a while, who knows if we ever will....I think if anytime were good, now would be that time.” Maggie said and Miranda sighed. She may actually have a point, not that Miranda wanted to admit it.

They finished up their shift and Maggie went to help her sister in the gardens. Miranda couldn't get their talk out of her head though. She glanced at the men as she walked around, thinking of the possibilities. Most of them were too old or not at all her type. Or already taken of course. She could appreciate that some of them were decent looking but she didn't want to have some meaningless romp with someone she had no chemistry with. No point in having sex if it wasn't going to be good. She sighed, deciding that the whole idea was ridiculous and headed into her bunk to read before she lost the light entirely. Of course, she bumped into Daryl on her way.

“Shit, sorry.” She winced as she stepped on his foot. He grabbed her to steady her as she swayed on her feet and she felt a jolt go up her arm.

“S'alright.” He muttered, in that raspy i've-smoked-my-whole-life way of his. Miranda moved out of his way and just stood there for a moment, thinking about what just happened as she watched him go. And speaking of chemistry...

She groaned as she walked into her bunk and fell into bed. She hated that she was even thinking about sex all of a sudden. She'd been just fine not thinking about it for the many months she'd been out just trying to survive. But now she found herself wondering what he looked like under those sleeveless shirts, wondering how his skin would taste, how his lips would feel... She closed her eyes and let herself imagine for a moment. She was in the middle of imagining what his cock would look like when someone's voice broke her out of her spell.

“Hey, Miranda? Do you have that book? The one about the birds?” She opened her eyes to see Patrick peeking around her open curtain and sighed. She got it for him and he left with a thank you, polite boy that he was.

Even if she had the courage to instigate something with Daryl Dixon, isn't not like they'd ever have a moment of privacy. She wondered how Maggie and Glenn made it work. They'd been caught in the guard tower before, or at least coming out of it. She wouldn't want everyone to know what they were up to if they did. She rolled her eyes again, wondering why she was even thinking about it. It wasn't going to happen.


	2. Part two

Days later, five frustrating days later in fact, Miranda was sharpening her knife out in the sun. She’d been unable to get Daryl, or the talk with Maggie, off her mind. She went back and forth on the idea of just throwing herself out there. The worst thing he could do is say no, right? It’s not like she’d never been rejected before but this would be worse. Not only were picking pretty slim, but she’d still have to face him every day thanks to their close quarters. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted him.

“Hey Miranda, I'm goin' on a run. You comin'?” Daryl asked, surprising the hell out of her as he tore her from her thoughts. She felt herself flush as she was caught thinking about him again. 

“Uh...yeah?” She said, although it came out as more of a question. She hadn’t been expecting him to come to her this time but she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. He nodded and she went in to grab her bag, notifying Cathy on her way out. They took his bike this time and she tried not to be affected by being so close to him but she was pressed up against his back with her arms around his waist and her legs surrounding his hips. The vibrations from the motorcycle between her legs weren’t exactly helping matters.

They drove for awhile, long enough for her to calm down about the situation and just enjoy the ride. She'd always liked motorcycles but never had the chance to ride one. It was a little worrisome at first but once she got used to it she really enjoyed the freedom. He eventually pulled to a stop in front of a little convenience store that looked promising. It was in the middle of nowhere so hopefully it hadn't been raided too terribly.

They entered the place cautiously, after banging on the doors to stir anything inside. There was one walker but it was crushed under a shelf and couldn't move much. They killed it anyways. They roamed the mostly empty aisles, a little disappointed at the lack of product, and even checked under them. Some of the best stuff she'd found was things that had been dropped and rolled under. She snagged some chocolate off the floor before going behind the counter.

“Grab me some smokes if you find any.” Daryl called to her as he looked around for anything useful. She snagged a couple packs lying around but most of it had been cleaned out. She did find some aspirin and a couple boxes of condoms. She picked it up and was reminded of her earlier dilemma. “Find anything?” Daryl asked, leaning over the counter. She jumped and dropped the box.

“Uhm...yeah, here.” She said, blushing profusely as she handed him the packs she found. He snorted at the box of condoms she’d dropped.

“Guess Glenn'll appreciate these, huh?” He said and tossed them in her bag. She sighed and stood up. He lit a cigarette as they left and leaned against his bike to smoke it.

“Do you...” Miranda tried, she really did. But she chickened out. She couldn’t remember having such little confidence talking to a man she liked. It was embarrassing. “Nevermind.”

“What?” Daryl asked with a furrowed brow. She shook her head. “Just spit it out.” He snapped and she sighed.

“Do you ever...I don't know, miss it?” She asked, kicking the gravel beneath her feet. He quirked a brow at her, not following.“You know...having a need for a condom?” She explained, rolling her eyes. He scoffed and shook his head.

“Ain't got time for it these days.” He said, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“Maggie and Glenn find time.” She reminded him. He looked at her again, contemplating it.

“What? You missin' it?” He asked and she blushed. Thunder sounded above them and they looked up at the dark clouds rolling in, seemingly out of nowhere. The wind had picked up a bit too. “C'mon. Need to get home before that hits.” He said and flicked his cigarette on the ground. She hopped on the bike behind him and silently wished they'd taken a car.

They'd made it maybe half way back when the rain hit but he kept going. It wasn’t too bad at first but eventually it was pouring hard and fast enough for it to be dangerous. They went in search of shelter when they came across a house, buried back in the trees a bit. It looked a little old but not like it was going to fall from the weight of the rain and wind. He pulled up the drive and parked his bike on the side of the house, hiding it a bit in the trees so it wouldn't be seen from the road. They went inside and searched the house. It was empty, which was very lucky. They blocked the door with the couch and started searching for anything useful. Like dry clothes, that was Miranda’s priority for the moment. She found some things that would fit them and hung their wet clothes in the bathroom after they’d changed. Daryl had found a couple candles and had them lit downstairs by the time she came down.

“Anything to eat?” She asked, pulling her wet hair up. She hoped he wouldn't notice she'd left her bra upstairs. She had soaked through her clothes and whatever woman lived here before definitely wasn't the same size as her. A downside to having pretty small breasts.

“Some beans. Most the food is expired or stale.” He told her, something they'd been finding a lot of. Unless it were canned, it generally wasn't safe to eat anymore. Most boxed food had expired a while back. She sat down beside him on the loveseat, the only place to sit that wasn't up against the door. He opened a can and handed it to her before opening one for himself. They were quiet as they ate and Miranda wondered if she'd made him uncomfortable with their talk earlier. It was hard to tell because he was so quiet anyways but she was worried she’d ruined her chances of being invited out again.

“Wanna see if they have a deck of cards or something? Kill some time while we wait for the rain to let up.” She asked and he shrugged. She got up and searched the kitchen, finally coming across a deck in the mess of someone's old junk drawer. She found it funny that everyone had a drawer saved for random things that didn't have any where else to go. She sat on the floor by the coffee table and Daryl scooted down to do the same. She dealt the cards and they played a few hands but it got boring pretty fast. Daryl sighed and threw his cards down as she beat him again.

“Maybe they have monopoly?” She suggested with a sheepish look and he rolled his eyes. She got up and started looking around, just to give herself something to do. She searched all the cupboards, even grabbing a chair to check the one above the fridge. She found a bottle of whiskey sitting up there, unopened. She grinned and hopped down to show Daryl.

“Shit, hand it over.” He said, pulling himself up on the couch again. She sat beside him as he took the bottle. He opened it up and gave a good swig. “Don' drink too much. Just in case.” He said, his eyes darting to the door. She nodded, knowing they had to be careful out in the real world. If someone showed up or they needed to get out fast, they didn't want to be drunk. They each took a couple swigs, just enough to get a good buzz.

“Can't remember the last time I had anything to drink.” She said, setting the bottle on the table. He hummed and tilted his head back to rest on the couch.

“How old are you?” He asked, his face scrunching up as he realized he didn't know.

“Twenty-Eight, you?” He grimaced at her answer.

“Lot older than that.” She nudged his knee with her foot. “Forty-five.” He admitted reluctantly. She chuckled and got comfortable on the little sofa, letting her feet rest in his lap as she stretched out. He tensed for a moment but didn't make her move.

“So, what's the plan for sleeping? Think one of us should stay up an' keep watch?” She asked, her accent a bit thicker thanks to the alcohol and exhaustion. He chewed his lip as he considered it.

“Nuh, just put some of those empty cans on a string in front of the staircase. If anyone comes up, we'll hear 'em.” He said and shoved her feet off his lap so he could get to it. She gathered her things and took them upstairs. There were only three bedrooms; one was a nursery, one obviously belonged to a kid maybe Carl’s age, and then the parents’ room. She took her stuff to the master bedroom and made a mental note to search the nursery for anything Judith could use before they left. Finding baby stuff was hard these days thought they'd been very lucky so far. Daryl stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment. “I could take the couch,” He offered, pointing his thumb over his shoulder as he realized what their sleeping arrangements would be.

“It's fine. I don't mind sharing.” Miranda said without looking at him. She pulled her hair down, letting it fall in messy waves, as he walked in and laid on the bed with a sigh. She took off the sweat pants she'd been wearing and he raised an eyebrow at her. “I can't sleep in pants.” She shrugged as she crawled under the covers, trying not to flash him

Daryl cleared his throat and shifted as he tried to give her enough space on the bed so they wouldn't touch. She curled on her side, her back to him, and listened to the rain hitting the roof as she fell asleep after a while, thinking to herself how lucky they were that it wasn't leaking.

Hours later she woke up with a start after another nightmare. She sighed and clutched her pillow tightly. Wait, pillows aren't supposed to move. Her whole body tensed as the body beneath her groaned and shifted slightly. She felt arms circle her torso and pull her closer. She took a few slow deep breaths as she remembered where she was and realized whose arms she was in. Her body didn't relax but instead grew tense for a whole new reason. Instead of wanting to run in fear from the stirring body, she wanted to be closer and she knew that was a bad idea. She looked up just as Daryl was opening his eyes. She watched him blink in confusion for a moment before looking down at her.

“Hi,” Her voice sounded so small and soft from sleep. She was worried how he would react but despite his arms twitching in discomfort he didn't move either.

“Hi...” He grunted, his tone rough and low. Miranda considered again that maybe she should just go for it. Now would be the perfect time, considering they were all alone. But before she could even figure out a way to approach the topic, Daryl spoke again. “Should be gettin' up. Get an early start.” He said and she moved off of him instantly. She crawled out of bed first while he stretched his sore muscles. They each took turns getting dressed in their old clothes, thankfully dry after hanging all night. Then they gathered their things and, after stealing some clothes from the nursery, they headed back out on the road. The sky was blissfully clear again and the roads safe to travel, apart from the occasional branch strewn across the road. They made it back to the prison without any more trouble and she got off the bike as he parked it, noticing the thick tension. She paused, worried again that she'd fucked things up.

“Daryl?” She started and he turned from rummaging in his bags to look at her. “I'm sorry…’bout last night. Or this morning...which ever.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She hated the awkwardness of the situation. There was a time that she’d be able to handle shit like this gracefully, without feeling like a fool about it. Something about Daryl though...

“S'fine.” He muttered and pursed his lips in thought for a moment. “Best sleep I've had in a while.” He admitted before walking away, leaving her behind with a dumbfounded look on her face. 

 

They kept up a routine like that for a while. One of them would get restless and they’d find some excuse to get out for a while. She knew the other members of the group were starting to gossip about them, thanks to her mother and her big mouth, but she didn’t care. She just enjoyed the time she got to spend with him and wormed her way a bit closer to him. They started to talk more as they went out frequently. They’d spend the drive discussing things from the old world or people from the one they lived in now. They avoided talking about Merle or the Governor or her dad for the most part to keep the mood light. 

She still hadn’t been able to get him to tell her what he did back in the day and that was frustrating but she was determined. At least she got more than one guess a day.

“Uhhh.. you worked as a bartender.” Miranda guessed as he drove the truck down the road. 

“Nope.” He said, chewing on the end of a piece of jerky. 

“A cop?” 

“Ya already guessed that one.” He reminded her. 

“Oh right, sorry. Umm.. How ‘bout...a male prostitute?” 

“What--ya serious?” Daryl huffed a laugh, a rarity for him. “That’s your guess?”

“Hey you never know. With those guns I bet people paid good--Holy shit! Pull over!” Miranda gasped as they passed a strip mall and he nearly swerved into a pole at the way she’d startled him.

“What the fuck? Why? There’s nothin’ here.” Daryl inquired, sounding annoyed. He pulled into the parking lot anyways to appease her.

“Nothing here? I beg to differ.” Miranda scoffed and pointed to a store at the end. He looked at her curiously but didn’t argue. For once she didn’t give him shit about parking directly in front of the glass doors. Instead she hopped out and went to investigate. She knocked on the doors, waiting a moment as he came up beside her. Eventually they decided it was empty and went inside. “This is not nothing.”

Miranda walked around in awe as she looked at the walls lined with guitars and a floor filled with pianos of different sorts. There was a layer of dust on everything but she didn't care. She reminded herself to be on alert, just in case, but her eyes stayed on the merchandise for the most part. 

“D’ya play?” Daryl asked, glancing around the music store. She wasn’t sure if he was interested or just looking for exits. 

“I play a little guitar but mostly piano.” Miranda said, her fingers running along the ivorys slowly. She glanced around, wondering if he’d let her take any of it. Sure she couldn’t exactly lift a full sized piano into the back of the truck but maybe a guitar and some books to refresh her memory. 

Daryl followed her around silently, letting her have her moment. She walked around like a kid in a toy store, having to touch every intrustrument. Even the one in the locked case signed by someone she didn’t recognize. Eventually they made it towards the back of the store and found some soundproofed rooms, used for practice. They used to rent out rooms like this for band rehearsals. She grinned and headed into one that held a piano, Daryl at her feet. 

Once the door was closed, she wasted no time in playing a song she knew off the top of her head. She closed her eyes for a moment as she played, wanting to cry the moment was so rewarding. She couldn’t remember the last time she played or sang anything. Daryl sat beside her quietly, listening to her play. She played a couple more old classical songs by composers he’d probably never even heard of. She couldn’t even remember their names. Eventually she played something she could sing along to, once she was comfortable enough. 

Miranda sighed as she finished the song and let her fingers drop off the keys. They were both quiet for a while before she spoke again.

“I’ve been playing since I was six. For a long time it was the only thing that made me happy.” She told him, not expecting a response. “I used to get together with this group and sing at shows. Just bars and shit, nothing big. Didn’t make a lot of money and I had to bartend in between, but it made me happy.” She turned to look at him with a soft smile. “Thanks for stopping.” 

Daryl gave her a nod, his eyes not leaving hers. It wasn’t normal for him to hold eye contact for so long but for some reason he couldn’t look away. Before either of them realized what was happening, they were leaning in. Their lips touched hesitantly, both afraid of rejection. But after a moment the kiss grew deeper, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. She scooted closer, her arms going around his shoulders to tug him in more. He allowed it for a minute before pulling back, ducking his head. 

“We should..we should get back.” He said, chewing on his thumb nail. Miranda frowned but agreed, standing up to leave. She didn’t make it to the door though. After he stood up, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. He kissed her deeply, his hands in her hair as he backed her up against the wall. Miranda whimpered against his lips, her fists gripping his sleeveless shirt. 

Daryl pulled back after a moment, pressing his forehead against hers, and his hands dropped to her hips. Miranda looked up at him curiously, noticing he was hesitant.

“We can take it slow.” Miranda offered, not wanting to lose her chance with him. Daryl chewed his lip before nodding. She kissed him again, softer this time, and took his hand. “Let’s get back. It’s getting late.” She said and he let her drag him out of there by the hand. 

They were practically inseparable after that. They took things slow, like she promised, until he eventually brought her back to the music store and they had sex for the first time. She ended up moving into his bunk shortly after that. 

Of course, as soon as she was finally happy again, shit hit the fan. The sickness hit the prison and even she herself ended up dangerously ill. She was lucky they found medicine to fight the strange infection but before she was even fully back to her old self, the prison was attacked and they were on the move again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave feedback and if you're a Negan fan, check out the rest of my work.


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